Family - Including A Baby - Escape After Their Car Overturns On Road Near Soham

PUBLISHED: 11:16 09 June 2009 | UPDATED: 10:56 04 May 2010

Dr Alastiair Steel

A FAMILY, including a baby, had a lucky escape after their car overturned on a busy main road near Soham on Monday. The incident happened shortly after midday on Monday (June 8) on the A142. Three passengers, including a baby, escaped with only minor inju

A FAMILY, including a baby, had a lucky escape after their car overturned on a busy main road near Soham on Monday.

The incident happened shortly after midday on Monday (June 8) on the A142. Three passengers, including a baby, escaped with only minor injuries after their car careered into a ditch and struck a tree before flipping on to its roof and sliding back into the middle of the carriageway.

An emergency rapid-response helicopter from the East Anglian Air Ambulance was called to the scene, with MAGPAS doctors treating the passengers at the road-side before they were transported by road to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

The road was cleared and re-opened by police shortly after 2.15pm.

The MAGPAS doctor was Dr Alistair Steel and paramedic, Dan Cody. The MAGPAS team assessed the patients, at the scene - one of whom had sustained a head injury. The injury was not thought to be serious and all three patients were transferred to Addenbrookes by land ambulance.

Dr Alistair Steel said: "The family were really very lucky to escape with what appear to be relatively minor injuries. MAGPAS is used to attending incidents where cars have left the road and rolled over and the injuries sustained in that kind of accident are often much worse."

* MAGPAS doctors and paramedics are trained to be able to provide advanced A&E treatment at the scenes of road traffic accidents. Last year the MAGPAS team on board the Air Ambulance were called out 700 times. The MAGPAS team also uses the police helicopter outside daylight hours when the Air Ambulance does not fly.